Still Sing Out even if your car is on fire

Stuart Cumming
Reporter
Stuart studied journalism at the University of Southern Queensland in Toowoomba. He worked briefly at Central Queensland News and Warwick Daily News. He has worked as a reporter at The Chronicle since July 2009.

A TRIP to Toowoomba for the Sing Out choir event proved to be the dramatic finale for a Lockyer Valley family's van.

Mt Sylvia woman Melissa Smith was driving her partner Neil Speechley as well as her 10-year-old daughter Jacinta Berg and a neighbour's child Porter Hansen along Herries St about 9am yesterday when a fellow motorist called out saying their van was on fire.

They were on their way to the Empire Theatre so the children could complete a day of rehearsals ahead of last night's performance.

A passing motorist let him use a fire extinguisher from the back of his ute, but it was not enough to contain the fire.

"Once I ran out of fire extinguisher I got away."

Mt Sylvia residents Neil Speechley and Melissa Smith and two children escaped injury after their van caught fire after coming up the Toowoomba Range. The car pulled up on the corner of Kitchener and Herries Street. Photo: Bev Lacey / The ChronicleBev Lacey

He was just pleased everyone got out of the car safely.

Miss Smith said a tow truck company employee was kind enough to drop the children at the Empire Theatre so they could be a part of Sing Out rehearsals.